The present invention broadly relates to a gas supply device and, more specifically, pertains to a new and improved construction of a gas supply device including a plurality of gas flasks or cartridges inserted in a pressurized gas container.
Generally speaking, the gas supply device of the present invention comprises a plurality of gas flasks or cartridges inserted into a pressurized gas container. In an operational position, the pressurized gas container is gas-tightly connected to a connection location and the interior of each gas flask or cartridge flow communicates with the interior of the pressurized gas container through a small aperture serving as a throttling orifice.
In other words, the gas supply device of the present invention comprises a pressurized gas container having an interior space and an operational position; a connection location for the pressurized gas container; a plurality of gas flasks inserted into the pressurized gas container; hermetic means for gas-tightly connecting the pressurized gas container to the connection location when the pressurized gas container is in the operational position; and each gas flask having an interior space flow communicating with the interior space of the pressurized gas container through a small aperture serving as a throttling orifice.
A gas supply device of the initially mentioned type is known from the German Pat. No. 712,559. This patent discloses a pressurized gas container exposed to artillery or gun fire in service. A plurality of closed gas flasks each provided with a relatively small opening are inserted next to one another in the pressurized gas container. This arrangement prevents the entire content from suddenly escaping at one location when the pressurized gas container bursts. The gas escapes from the inserted gas flasks through the relatively small openings into the burst pressurized gas container. The throttled content of the gas flasks can only escape relatively slowly through the small openings. The gas flasks are firmly seated in the pressurized gas container and can be extremely thin-walled in this arrangement. This, however, entails the danger that the inserted gas flasks may also burst when the pressurized gas container bursts. Furthermore, this pressurized gas container is only suited for a purely gaseous filling. The employment of liquid gas, which would provide an increase of the storable gas quantity, is not envisioned. The quantity of gas stored in this gas supply device is relatively modest.
A gas supply device for a liquid gas engine having a liquid gas container is known from the German Patent Publication No. 2,700,727. This pressurized gas container either comprises a commercially available carbon dioxide cartridge which partially contains liquid gas and is closed by a membrane or comprises a permanently installed gas container which must be filled with liquid gas. If the running time of the liquid gas engine is to be increased, a larger container must be selected. Safety regulations, however, require heavier and more expensive construction of larger pressurized gas containers. The content of commercially available carbon dioxide cartridges is a given quantity, i.e. is predetermined.
In this prior art gas supply device, the pressurized gas container is in thermally conductive communication with a container for a heat-storage substance. The heat-storage substance inserted therein is intended to prevent the progressive diminution of gas pressure while the gas escapes from the gas flask or cartridge. The pressure drop is a result of the cooling of the gas in the transition from the liquid to the gaseous state in the gas flask or cartridge. The heat-storage substance must be heated sufficiently far above the freezing point or crystallization temperature before operation. Otherwise it remains ineffective. The thermal conductivity of the heat-storage substance is very low, especially in the solid state. Therefore this substance can only be applied in relatively thin layers, e.g. 0.5 mm. The heat release and heat absorption time must be chosen sufficiently long, a matter of minutes. For this reason, the heating of the gas flask by a heat-storage substance is unsatisfactory.